A CHRISTMAS CAROL

By CHARLES DICKENSAdapted by HOWARD DALLIN

About

NOV. 21 - DEC. 29, 2018

Directed by MICHAEL EVAN HANEY

The Playhouse's version of A Christmas Carol combines faithful storytelling with spellbinding stage magic to bring to life its familiar story of a sinner given one last chance at redemption by four persuasive ghosts. Ebenezer Scrooge undergoes a miraculous Christmas Eve transformation as he views with new eyes his past, present and the possibilities of the future. As he witnesses all those who have improved his life — his first love Belle, his kindhearted employer Fezziwig, his nephew Fred and his heartily abused clerk Bob Cratchit — he realizes that it's never too late to change his miserly ways. A Christmas Carol's heartwarming message, hundreds of costumes and thrilling special effects help to make the show one of the Playhouse's most popular productions each year.
“If you haven’t seen it, give yourself a present and do so.” – CityBeat

ADVISORY:A Christmas Carol is suitable for all general audiences, including children ages 5 and older. Due to the full-length nature of the show, children younger than 5 cannot be admitted. Please contact the Box Office if you have questions or require additional information.

RUNNING TIME: The show runs approximately 2 hours and 5 minutes, including one intermission.

Bruce Cromer

Ebenezer Scrooge

Bruce Cromer

Bruce has appeared in A Christmas Carol at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park since 1997, including eight years as Bob Cratchit; other Playhouse credits include Speaking in Tongues (2012), King Lear (2001) and Barrymore (1999). His directing credits for the Playhouse’s outreach touring company include Touch the Names and The Tempest. Regionally, Bruce has appeared in more than 170 professional stage productions at Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati, Cincinnati Shakespeare Company, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Santa Fe Stages, Clarence Brown Theatre, Milwaukee Repertory Theater, Seattle Children’s Theatre and The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, among others. He is a founding resident artist with The Human Race Theatre Company in Dayton, a certified teacher with the Society of American Fight Directors and a professor of acting at Wright State University’s Professional Actor Training Program. He has been a proud member of Actors’ Equity Association since 1981. Sharing the stage in this A Christmas Carol with his son Charlie is a long-time dream come true.

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David Armando

Constable at Fezziwig's / Man with Pipe / Caroler / Streets

David Armando

David is a Guatemalan-American actor who is honored to be a part of this season’s acting intern company. Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park credits include The Jungle Book (Baloo) and The Roommate (Voice of Son). Other past credits include The Winter’s Tale (Polixenes), Legally Blonde The Musical (Emmett), The Nightman Cometh (Frank Reynolds) and The Tempest (Caliban). David graduated with a BA in Theatre and a minor in Psychology from Virginia Commonwealth University and plans on going to graduate school to study Drama Therapy. When he’s not acting, he enjoys playing the mandolin and cheering on the Stanley Cup champion Washington Capitals. He thanks his family and friends for their love and support.

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Damien Boykin

Dick Wilkins / Caroler / Streets

Damien Boykin

Damien grew up in Dallas, Texas, where he played AAA ice hockey most of his life. Perhaps he would have chosen a different sport, had he known then how absurd it would be to say he played ice hockey in Texas. He went to the University of Arkansas where he got his BA in Political Science but chose to take the safer route in pursuing acting. After a couple of years studying and performing improv in Chicago, he was accepted into the Stella Adler Studio of Acting in New York City. Upon graduation, he spent a time working at the Great River Shakespeare Festival and has now landed in the beautiful city of Cincinnati. He's very grateful to be working at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park with wonderful people.

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Charlie Cromer

Young and Mature Scrooge / Ghost of Christmas Future

Charlie Cromer

Charlie is making his rousing Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park debut with this production. His regional credits include MilkMilkLemonade (Impact Theatre Berkeley), The Irish Curse (Short North Stage) and the national premiere of Pesach at 7 Stages Theatre in Atlanta. You may have seen him locally as Curly, Tybalt, Sebastian or The Wooer from TheTwo Noble Kinsmen on the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company's former main stage. Charlie received his MFA from the University of Georgia, where he met the other founding members of Complicit Theatre Company. Their latest devised piece, The Encampment of Dr. Moreau, won critics' choice for best drama at the 2018 International Orlando Fringe. Charlie would have never achieved these credits without the love and support of his brothers Toby and Elliot, his parents Bruce and Carol, and his partner Lauren.

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Annie Fitzpatrick

Mrs. Fezziwig / Patience / Streets

Annie Fitzpatrick

Annie is delighted to return to Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park after appearing in A Prayer for Owen Meany (2016), To Kill a Mockingbird (2016), Pride and Prejudice (2014) and Hank Williams: Lost Highway (2012). She recently appeared in Ada and the Engine at Know Theatre of Cincinnati, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner at Cincinnati Shakespeare Company and This Random World at Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati. She was a founding member of The New Group in New York City and toured nationally and internationally with Murder a la Carte. Regionally, Annie has performed at The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Geva Theatre Center, Florida Stage, Florida Studio Theatre, Porthouse Theatre and The Human Race Theatre Company. Television and film credits include Chicago P.D., Lifetime’s Army Wives, A&E’s Those Who Kill, Fun Size, Milk Money, to be, Broken Hearts and The Old Man and The Gun.

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Ryan Wesley Gilreath

Bob Cratchit / Schoolmaster Oxlip

Ryan Wesley Gilreath

Ryan is a New York-based actor who is honored to be returning to Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park. Having grown up in Cincinnati, it was this production of A Christmas Carol years ago that inspired him to pursue acting. Recently, Ryan played Deputy Sutherland in Extremely Wicked, starring Zac Efron. This past year he also directed his first music video and commercial. On the side, he continues to workshop new plays and has started working on two films of his own. One of his career highlights was when he made an appearance on Good Morning America... as aCrayola Crayon.Theatre credits include Seven Angels (Burning Desire, starring alongside Lou Diamond Phillips, Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati (Tribes, Other Desert Cities, Next Fall, Mary’s Wedding), the national tour of Echoes of Ireland, The Human Race Theatre Company (Ears on a Beatle), Florida Repertory Theatre (Deathtrap), The Theater Barn and Blue Jacket (The Outdoor Drama). Television and film credits include Jack Miller on TURN (AMC),Oppenheimer in American Genius (National Geographic, Gold Fever (Discovery Channel), Deception (NBC), Team Umizoomi (Nick Jr.) and the pilot of Guilty (Fox) opposite Cuba Gooding, Jr. Big thanks to Blake, the cast and crew, his wonderful family and Cincinnati for being AWESOME! Please visit www.RyanWesleyGilreath.com.

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Mia Goodlett

Want / Guest at Fezziwig’s / Streets

Mia Goodlett

Mia is overjoyed to debut with Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park in A Christmas Carol. She is in the fifth grade at Summit Elementary in The Forest Hills School District. Mia has been dancing since the age of 3 at The Studio for Dance. As a dancer, she has performed with the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, in Cincinnati Ballet’s The Nutcracker and in Billy Elliot with Fairfield Summer Theatre. She also enjoys working towards her black belt at Martial Arts America. Mia thanks her family, friends, teachers and Cincinnati PIayhouse in the Park for their support.

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Ashlynn Isabel Hezlep

Belinda Cratchit / Guest at Fezziwig's / Streets

Ashlynn Isabel Hezlep

Ashlynn is excited to make her debut with A Christmas Carol as Belinda. She's a fourth-grader at Summerside Elementary and most recently appeared in Shrek the Musical (Young Fiona) with Acting Up in Mason. Her favorite role was Annie in Annie, Jr. at The School House of Music. She also has enjoyed being a part of the Children's Theatre of Cincinnati's STAR NKU Program. A big thank you to the Playhouse for putting their trust in Ashlynn. Thank you to friends and family for supporting her. She wishes the cast and crew all the best this season.

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Maya Jeyam

Rose / Guest at Fezziwig's / Caroler / Streets

Maya Jeyam

Maya received her BA in Theatre Arts from University of the Pacific. Previous credits include Sherry Walton in GoodLife Pharmacomm, Ismene in The Antigone Project: A Stone's Throw and Emcee/Feste in Drunken Shakespeare. In 2016, she worked as an acting apprentice with Livermore Shakespeare Festival, performing in The Tempest and Persuasion. Maya also dabbles in directing, singing, video editing and cosmetology. She would like to thank her grandmother for being the queen of her universe.

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Ari Elizabeth Johnson

Fan / Guest at Fezziwig's / Streets

Ari Elizabeth Johnson

Ari is a fifth-grader from Mason, Ohio. She and her family split their time between Los Angeles and Cincinnati, with representation through The Osbrink Agency (Los Angeles) and Wings Model Management. Ari is thrilled to return for her fourth year of A Christmas Carol! Her previous theatre credits include Brownsville Song: B-side for Tray (Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati). This fall, she debuted in her first film, playing Casey Affleck and Tika Sumpter’s daughter in The Old Man and The Gun. Ari is truly grateful for the blessings and joys each acting experience brings. Instagram: @ariandteaganfam

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Ronin King-Dennis

Tiny Tim

Ronin King-Dennis

Ronin is delighted to be making his debut with Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park. Ronin has been active in community charity shows and recently played the role of the Witches’ Elf in a homeschool production of Dido and Aeneas. He takes violin classes and has taken many dance classes. When he isn't performing, he helps his parents foster homeless dogs, and he enjoys playing with dart blasters with his friends. He would like to thank Blake Robison, mom and dad, and everyone at the Playhouse for this opportunity!

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Gabrielle Kogut

Poulteress / Guest at Fezziwig’s / Streets

Gabrielle Kogut

Gabrielle is thrilled to perform at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park. A current member of the Bruce E. Coyle Acting Intern Company, she graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a BA in Theatre Arts and a BA in Communication Science & Disorders. Favorite credits include Our Town (Mrs. Webb), Baltimore (Fiona), Blue Rooms (Act II Lead) and The Diary of Anne Frank (Margot Frank). Next up: Roxane in the Off the Hill touring production of Cyrano.

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Julie Locker

Mary (Scrubwoman at Fezziwig’s) / Caroler / Streets

Julie Locker

Julie is a proud member of the intern company at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, having recently returned to her home state of Ohio after completing her MA in Acting at East 15 Acting School in Loughton, UK. Since returning, she has made her directorial, television and film debuts, and recent stage credits include Helena in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Actor’s Theatre of Columbus), Perdita in The Winter’s Tale and Young Siward in Macbeth (Richmond Shakespeare Festival). She has been onstage since she could walk and talk, yet she deluded herself for many years into believing she would be a scientist and attended Cornell University to study biological sciences. In 2016, she graduated from Cornell with a BA in Performing and Media Arts, then completed her master's the following year.

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Taha Mandviwala

Mr. Sosser / Topper / Man with Shoe Shine / Guest at Fezziwig’s

Taha Mandviwala

Taha is thrilled to be returning to Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park for A Christmas Carol! He is a 2016 graduate of the University of Kentucky where he earned a BA in Theatre, and he was a member of the 2016-17 Bruce E. Coyle Acting Intern Company at the Playhouse. Recent regional credits include Romeo and Juliet (Romeo) and Love’s Labour’s Lost (Dumaine)at Santa Cruz Shakespeare Festival, and Disgraced (Abe)at Virginia Stage Company. Cincinnati Playhouse credits include Treasure Island, Shakespeare in Love, A Christmas Carol (2016), as well as touring productions of Pinocchio;The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe; and Robin Hood. In his downtime, Taha enjoys local volunteering, practicing martial arts/stage combat and partaking in epic, rousing and dangerous sessions of Dungeons and Dragons.

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Sara Masterson

Belle / Catherine Margaret

Sara Masterson

Sara is delighted to be returning to Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park for her third holiday season! Her credits include Next to Normal (Syracuse Stage), Fun Home (Portland Center Stage), The Secret Garden (Idaho Shakespeare Festival/Great Lakes Theater), How to Succeed in Business … (Arts Center of Coastal Carolina), Love Story (Playhouse Square) and A Little Night Music (New London Barn Playhouse). She is a proud graduate of the Baldwin Wallace Conservatory of Music. Endless gratitude to the wonderful people at Carlton, Goddard and Freer Talent and to her remarkable family. Visit www.saramastersonactor.com or follow her on Instagram @saraemasterson.

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Kelly Mengelkoch

Mrs. Cratchit / Laundress / Streets

Kelly Mengelkoch

Kelly is delighted to ring in the holidays with her A Christmas Carol family this season. A resident ensemble member at Cincinnati Shakespeare Company (CSC), she has also worked locally with New Stage Collective, The Human Race Theatre Company, Xavier University Theatre, Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati and most recently with Know Theatre of Cincinnati. Regional work includes St. Croix Festival Theatre, The Old Creamery Theatre Company and Kansas City’s New Theatre. Film credits include C.S.A.: The Confederate States of America, A Kind of Murder, The Old Man and The Gun and Perception. For more information, visit kellymengelkoch.com. She would like to send love and thanks to all of her families, and especially so to her dear husband, Jeremy.

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Daniel Petzold

Fred

Daniel Petzold

Daniel is delighted to be making his Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park debut. His New York credits include Switzerland (Hudson Stage Company), Pushkin (the american vicarious) and In the Line (Project Y Theatre). Regionally, he’s been seen in Measure for Measure, Macbeth, Love’s Labour’s Lost and Twelfth Night (The Old Globe); Tom Stoppard’s trilogy, The Coast of Utopia (Shotgun Players); Three Sisters (Berkeley Repertory Theatre); A Bright New Boise (Aurora Theatre Company); Any Given Day and Another Way Home (Magic Theatre); Julius Caesar and Romeo and Juliet (Pacific Repertory Theatre); as well as performances with the San Francisco Shakespeare Festival, the Marin Shakespeare Company and Livermore Shakespeare Festival. You can catch him this February in the off-Broadway premiere of Switzerland at 59E59 Theater. He holds a BA from University of California Berkeley and an MFA from The Old Globe/University of San Diego. Visit www.danielpetzoldactor.com. Instagram: @dspetzold

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Greg Procaccino

Jacob Marley / Old Joe

Greg Procaccino

Greg’s Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park credits include A Christmas Carol (1991-2017), The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial (1996) and Romeo and Juliet (1978). Off-Broadway, he appeared in Second Chance. His regional credits include theatres such as Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati, Arena Stage, Round House Theatre, Olney Theatre Center, Folger Theatre, Washington Shakespeare Company, Hot Summer Nights at College-Conservatory of Music and The Human Race Theatre Company. On television and in film, he has appeared in The Greater Good (2006 FAIF Film Festival award winner), Heartburn, Best Friends, A Mom for Christmas, This Train, Little Man Tate, Crossing Fields, Milk Money, Murphy Brown, Hawk, Tanner ’88 (as a regular) and 2004’s Tanner on Tanner. He was nominated for an Emmy Award in 1990. Greg has directed over 20 stage productions in and around the Cincinnati area. He is the director of theatre at Thomas More College.

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Douglas Rees

Mr. Fezziwig / Ghost of Christmas Present

Douglas Rees

Doug is delighted to return to Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park for his fifth turn in A Christmas Carol. Four seasons back he was seen on the Marx stage in Sherlock Holmes and the Adventure of the Suicide Club, and more distant, he appeared in Macbeth in the 1981-82 season as a member of the first-ever intern company at the Playhouse. Other credits include the world premiere of Michael Hollinger’s Opus (Arden Theatre Company, Philadelphia), as well as the subsequent New York City premiere at Primary Stages; many appearances at the Mint Theater Company in New York City; The Beauty Queen of Leenane, All in the Timing, Compleat Female Stage Beauty and as Scrooge in the world premiere of Christopher Durang’s Mrs. Bob Cratchit’s Wild Christmas Binge (City Theatre Company, Pittsburgh); the world premiere of Michael Hollinger’s Ghost Writer (Arden Theatre Company, Philadelphia); Resurrection Blues by Arthur Miller (The Wilma Theater, Philadelphia); Travesties (Pittsburgh Irish and Classical Theatre); and Romeo and Juliet, The Cherry Orchard and All the Rage (Pittsburgh Public Theater). Television appearances include 30 Rock. Originally from Pittsburgh, he presently lives in New York City.

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Madison Rengli

Mrs. Dilber / Guest at Fezziwig's / Streets

Madison Rengli

Madison is beyond thrilled to be joining Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park in this incredible production. Most recently, she portrayed Joanna in Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner with Savannah Repertory Theatre. Other favorite regional credits include Brooke in Noises Off, Frances in Expressing Willie, Charlotte in Charlotte’s Web, Frances in Five Women Wearing the Same Dress and Bianca in Shakespeare’s Othello. She has her MFA in Acting from Savannah College of Art and Design and enjoys being a part of the two-person improv troupe, Awkward Conversations. When not on stage, she spends her time teaching theatre and dance to kids K – 12.

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Parker Roland

Peter Cratchit / Gregory / Apprentice at Fezziwig’s / Streets

Parker Roland

Parker is thrilled to debut with Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park. A New Haven Elementary fifth-grader, he is in the Talented and Gifted Program and his favorite subject is science. Parker has received piano training since age 6 and performed with the Cincinnati Boychoir, where he appeared in their production of A Christmas Carol (Brother Joe). In addition to acting and singing, Parker enjoys scuba diving, swimming, hiking and traveling the world. Parker would like to thank his parents for supporting his dream of becoming an actor, and he would also like to thank our director, Mr. Haney, for giving him a chance.

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Nick Rose

Mr. Cupp / Percy / Rich Man at Fezziwig's

Nick Rose

Nick is happy to return to Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park for his eighth appearance in A Christmas Carol. His regional credits include Macbeth, Titus Andronicus, The Grapes of Wrath, The Birds and The Hound of the Baskervilles (Cincinnati Shakespeare Company); Dead Man’s Cell Phone (Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati); Jerry Springer: The Opera (New Stage Collective) and When the Rain Stops Falling (Know Theatre of Cincinnati). He recently starred in Carson Kreitzer’s new play The Lasso of Truth in San Francisco (Marin Theatre Company). Nick’s television and film credits include Emulsion, The Tao of Tom, Justice in Bloom and various local television and radio commercials. He is a content creator for the Bardactor YouTube channel. He currently resides in Anderson Township with his beautiful and more talented wife, Sara; their son, Brennan; and their cat, Keillor.

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Britney Nicole Simpson

Ghost of Christmas Past / Mrs. Peake

Britney Nicole Simpson

This is Britney's Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park debut. Her credits include Bianca in Taming of the Shrew and Queen Isabella in Richard II (Hudson River Valley Shakespeare Festival); and Mme. de la Grand Bouche in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Nausicaa and Ensemble in The Odyssey, Phoebe Meryll/Krazy Kate in The Yeomen of the Guard, Dorothy and Glinda in The Wiz, Hotbox and Ensemble in Guys and Dolls, and Mopsa in the world premiere of Head over Heels (Oregon Shakespeare Festival). Other theatre credits include Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, Myrtle Webb in Our Town, and Grandma Tzeitel in Fiddler on the Roof (PCPA Theaterfest); and Nina in S’Wonderful (Oregon Cabaret Theatre). Britney received her education at The Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts. She wants to dedicate this performance to the most generous man she knows, Thomas Shoneff.

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James Stringer

Undertaker / Guest at Fezziwig's / Streets

James Stringer

James graduated from the University of Louisville with a BS in Theatre Arts. James was seen at the 2017 Kentucky Shakespeare Festival in Julius Caesar (Octavius Caesar/Trebonius), Richard II (Bagot/Groom) and Much Ado About Nothing (Balthasar/Watch). James also performed in the 2017 National Black Theatre Festival in the show Baltimore (Bryant), which was selected from the University of Louisville's 2016-17 season. Most recently, James worked with the Jewish Community Center's touring children's theatre troupe, CenterStage: Acting Out in Louisville, performing in Tevye & His Daughters (Mottel), Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins (Hershel) and Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Musical.

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Livvy Stubenrauch

Martha Cratchit / Guest at Fezziwig’s / Streets

Livvy Stubenrauch

Livvy is excited to return to A Christmas Carol for a fifth season, her first as Martha (Belinda in 2014, Fan from 2015 to 2017). Active in local theatre, she has also been cast in various independent films, but may be best known for her voice-over role as the mischievous Young Anna in the Academy Award-winning Disney film Frozen. Livvy has also lent her voice to popular Cartoon Network shows Clarence (Daughter) and Adventure Time (Young Kara, young Bonnibel Bubblegum). An eighth-grader at Harrison Junior School, she also visits LA for auditions and acting classes. Livvy thanks the Playhouse, family and friends for their endless support. Twitter/Instagram: @LivStubenrauch

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Sabian Swan

George / Charles / Rich Son at Fezziwig's / Streets

Sabian Swan

Sabian is excited to be returning to the A Christmas Carol stage. He has a gift for performing and has participated in school plays, including the Troll in The Three Billy Goats Gruff. Sabiansings, plays the violin, piano, drums and trumpet. He has attended acting camp at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park and The Young Actor's Toolbox, as well as boys’ ballet classes at College-Conservatory of Music. Offstage, Sabian enjoys spending time with his family and friends, seeing Broadway plays, playing tennis and basketball, swimming and meeting new people. Sabian hopes you enjoy the show!

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Teancom Thacker

Boy Scrooge / Boy at Fezziwig's / Bootblack / Streets

Teancom Thacker

Teancom is a seventh-grader at White Oak Middle School. He is thrilled to be making his professional acting debut with Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park. He previously starred as Young Simba in his school's 2018 production of The Lion King, Jr. Teancom is a kind, thoughtful person who enjoys acting, singing and playing the violin. He keeps his family entertained with his characters and reenactments of his favorite television shows. Teancom dreams of working on Broadway, doing what he loves most. Teancom would like to thank his family and friends for supporting him and Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park for this opportunity.

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Charlie Wise

Ignorance / Matthew / Apprentice at Fezziwig's / Streets

Charlie Wise

Charlie is incredibly grateful to Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park for this wonderful opportunity! He has thoroughly enjoyed performing various roles in school plays and at theatre camps throughout the beginning of his acting career, and he is now thrilled to be making his debut in A Christmas Carol this season. Charlie is currently a seventh-grader at Walnut Hills High School, and he also enjoys performing card magic, playing the trumpet, traveling and reading a good book. Charlie would like to thank his mom, dad and his sister Claire for all their love and support in everything he does. You may follow Charlie on Instagram: @cp_wise154

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Howard Dallin

Playwright

Howard Dallin

Howard’s 35 professional years in theatre were mostly focused on directing plays and corporate training videos. He is currently a writer and educator. As an actor, Howard acknowledges “that the stage has had a narrow escape.” His adaptation of A Christmas Carol for Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park was heavily influenced by the 1951 movie starring Alastair Sim as Ebenezer Scrooge. In addition to adapting the story for the stage, Howard directed the first two productions at the Playhouse. The first production was okay, but the script clearly needed more work. It was former Playhouse Producing Artistic Director Ed Stern who coached Howard through a series of revisions that allowed Scrooge to be a participant in the action rather than a mere observer. Michael Evan Haney, who was the production’s first-ever Bob Cratchit, eventually took over directing the work and has fashioned it into an endearing holiday classic.

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Michael Evan Haney

Director

Michael Evan Haney

Michael served as Associate Artistic Director for the Playhouse from 2002 to 2013. His productions here include Summerland, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, A Delicate Ship, Double Indemnity, Speaking in Tongues, The Understudy, The History of Invulnerability, Blackbird, Crime and Punishment, The Clean House, A Christmas Carol (1993-2017), Hiding Behind Comets and The Syringa Tree,among many others. Off-Broadway, he directed Around the World in 80 Days at the Irish Repertory Theatre. International credits include the English Theatres of Vienna and Frankfurt. Regional productions include Samuel Beckett’s Happy Days (Open Eye Theatre in Minneapolis); All My Sons (Alabama Shakespeare Festival); The Drawer Boy (Actors Theatre of Louisville); Freud's Last Session and Souvenir, for which he earned a Kevin Kline Award for direction (The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis); The Humans, Bloomsday, Grounded, An Iliad, Tribes and others (Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati); Bad Dates (Kansas City Repertory Theatre); Scotland Road (Pacific Resident Theatre, Drama-Logue Award for direction). As artistic director of the Allenberry Playhouse, Michael directed more than 30 plays, including Bus Stop, Shirley Valentine, Love Letters (with Shirley Jones) and The Secret Garden. Michael began his career as an actor appearing on Broadway, off-Broadway and at many regional theatres: Arena Stage (including their historic tour of the Soviet Union) and Great Lakes Shakespeare Festival where he appeared in the first American production of Dickens’ Nicholas Nickleby. Michael and his wife Amy Warner appeared as Cate Blanchett’s in-laws in the movie Carol and now live in Minnesota. In 2013, he received the Rick Steiner Lifetime Achievement Award for Excellence from the League of Cincinnati Theatres.

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James Leonard Joy

Set Designer

James Leonard Joy

James’ Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park productions include A Christmas Carol (1991-2017), Sylvia (1997), Inspecting Carol (1994), Hot ’N Cole (1992), The Cocktail Hour (1992) and Top Girls (1986). His Broadway credits include Ned and Jack, Take Me Along, Peter Pan, State Fair, Play On! and Regina at New York City Opera. Regionally, he has designed for The Old Globe Theatre, Huntington Theatre Company, Alliance Theatre Company, Cleveland Play House, Kansas City Repertory Theatre, The Guthrie Theater, Pasadena Playhouse, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Goodspeed Opera House, Arena Stage, Ford’s Theatre and Roundabout Theatre Company in New York, among others. James has designed corporate theatre shows extensively for such clients as McDonald’s, Toyota, General Motors, General Electric and Takeda Pharmaceuticals, and various theme park shows for the Walt Disney World Company, Busch Gardens Tampa and SeaWorld San Antonio.

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David Murin

Costume Designer

David Murin

David’s Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park credits include A Christmas Carol (1991-2017). His Broadway credits include Steel Magnolias, Mixed Emotions, A Change in the Heir, Ned and Jack, Blues in the Night, Devour the Snow, A Talent for Murder, The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial and Gorey Stories (supervisor for Edward Gorey’s designs). His off-Broadway productions include Crimes of the Heart (directed by Kathleen Turner), The Foreigner (with Matthew Broderick), The Holy Terror, The Middle Ages, Ladyhouse Blues, Translations, The Common Pursuit, Birds of Paradise, The Baby Dance, The Fourth Wall and Down the Garden Paths. Regionally, David’s designs have been seen at Alley Theatre, Paper Mill Playhouse, McCarter Theatre Center, George Street Playhouse, Arizona Theatre Company, Long Wharf Theatre and Huntington Theatre Company. He has produced designs for made-for-television movies and the long-running ABC soap opera Ryan’s Hope, for which he received an Emmy Award in 1981. His designs were also seen in the 2007-08 edition of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. David is in his 29th year serving on the design faculty of Rutgers University’s Mason Gross School of the Arts. He has just begun teaching a costume design mentoring class at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts.

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Kirk Bookman

Lighting Designer

Kirk Bookman

Kirk’s Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park credits include more than 70 productions, including Million Dollar Quartet (2018), Summerland (2017), A Delicate Ship (2014), Speaking in Tongues (2012), The Fantasticks (2010), A Christmas Carol (1991-2017), Sing Hallelujah! (2004), Proof (2003) and The Mystery of Irma Vep (2001). His Broadway credits include The Sunshine Boys (with Jack Klugman and Tony Randall), The Gin Game (with Julie Harris and Charles Durning) and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. Additional New York off-Broadway productions include Closer Than Ever (off-Broadway); Right You Are and What Then (Ohio Theatre); The Cook (Intar 53 Theatre); Recent Tragic Events (with Heather Graham, Playwrights Horizons); Shanghai Moon (with Charles Busch, Drama Department); The Green Heart (Manhattan Theatre Club); and productions of Mondo Drama, Havana Is Waiting, Force Continuum, My One Good Nerve (starring Ruby Dee), The Shawl, Rude Entertainment, The Book of Liz (with David and Amy Sedaris), Les MIZrahi, Hope is the Thing with Feathers, As Thousands Cheer, June Moon, Bedbound, Playboy of the Western World, Eclipsed, The Importance of Being Earnest and Major Barbara.

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David Smith

Sound Designer / Composer

David Smith

David’s Playhouse credits include more than 70 productions, including Thunder Knocking on the Door, Beehive, Dracula, Dark Paradise: The Legend of the Five-Pointed Star, Everything’s Ducky, A Little Night Music, Wit, Sweeney Todd, The Notebook of Trigorin, To Kill a Mockingbird and all productions of A Christmas Carol. Regional credits include Golden Boy (Long Wharf Theatre), Arena Stage, Ordway Center for the Performing Arts, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Paper Mill Playhouse, Birmingham Theatre, Cleveland Play House, Huntington Theatre Company and New York Shakespeare Festival. David has designed Sinfonia orchestral enhancement systems for the national tours of West Side Story, Annie, Jekyll and Hyde, Evita, Steel Pier, The Phantom of the Opera, Ragtime, Titanic, Seussical, Miss Saigon, Cinderella, The Music Man, Porgy and Bess, Oliver! and Oklahoma! Las Vegas credits include KÁ, Le Reve and Love; London credits include Les Misérables. David is a founding Partner and Director of Research and Development for Realtime Music Solutions and Dean of the School of Professional Studies at NYC College of Technology (CUNY). He holds multiple U.S. patents for music performance systems. David received a Kevin Kline Award for outstanding sound design for Dracula. His compositions have been played across the country.

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Steve O'Shea

Lighting Contractor

Steve O'Shea

Steve is pleased to be returning to Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, where he made his debut with God of Carnage (2011). He is currently the resident lighting and scenic designer for TADA! Youth Musical Theater Company New York City (since 2006). He is a design associate for various international, Broadway, off-Broadway and regional productions. He received his MFA in Lighting Design from the University of Washington in Seattle in 2001.

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Rebecca N. Childs

Music Director

Rebecca N. Childs

Rebecca has been the music director for Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park’s production of A Christmas Carol since 2002. She was also the rehearsal pianist for the Playhouse’s production of Tenderly: The Rosemary Clooney Musical (2014). She has been a musical director/vocal coach/accompanist for school, community and professional theatres in New Orleans and the southern Ohio area, and she has music directed shows for her alma mater, Miami University, and the University of Dayton. At The Carnegie, Rebecca was vocal director and assistant conductor for Carousel, for which she won an Acclaim Award, and vocal director for The King and I, The Sound of Music and West Side Story. She was music director for Mad Anthony Theatre Company’s The Story of My Life and Sondheim on Sondheim. She was also musical director for CCM Drama’s production of Coram Boy. Rebecca is the musical director for productions and serves on the musical theatre staff at the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music Preparatory Department and is an adjunct instructor for CCM’s Musical Theatre program. Rebecca was privileged to join three other CCM faculty who taught a musical theatre program in Beijing this past summer. She served as music director for La Comedia’s 2018 productions of The Color Purple and White Christmas. Rebecca received the Cincinnati Arts Association Overture Awards 2017 Arts Educator Award for excellence in arts instruction. She is also the proud mother of Erin Crouch and grandmother to Jack Crouch. Rebecca is honored to continue her association with the Playhouse and A Christmas Carol.

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Dee Anne Bryll

Choreographer

Dee Anne Bryll

Dee Anne is very pleased to return to Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park for her 18th year as choreographer for A Christmas Carol. Playhouse credits include Tenderly: The Rosemary Clooney Musical (2014), Pride and Prejudice (2014), Marry Me a Little (2009), The Clean House (2006) and The Glass Menagerie (1999). Additional credits include work at Xavier University Theatre, Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati, The Carnegie, Cincinnati Landmark Theatre and Commonwealth Theatre Company. Dee Anne has been a director/choreographer for shows including Life Could Be A Dream, Five Women Wearing the Same Dress, The Sound of Music (2015 LCT outstanding production), Chicago (2013-14 LCT winner of outstanding musical 2013-14 and outstanding direction of a musical), Falsettos, Parade (2012-13 LCT winner outstanding musical), Big River, Singin’ in the Rain, Ragtime and Some Enchanted Evening. She won a 2006 CEA for her performance as Maggie Jones in 42nd Street. She and her husband, Edward Cohen, were awarded the 2010 Acclaim Trailblazer Award for contributions to Cincinnati theatre. In January 2015, she was awarded the 2015 Freddie G Broadway Junior Spirit Award presented and sponsored by Freddie Gershon (CEO of Music Theatre International) and his wife Myrna. Dee Anne holds faculty positions at Northern Kentucky University, Xavier University and the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music Preparatory Department.

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Stephanie Klapper, CSA

Casting Director

Stephanie Klapper, CSA

Stephanie is thrilled to continue her collaboration with Blake Robison and Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, having cast Shakespeare in Love, Mr. Joy, Be Here Now, Marie and Rosetta, Sooner/Later, Treasure Island and Murder for Two last season. Previously for the Playhouse, she cast A Prayer forOwen Meany, Disgraced, A Christmas Carol, Jane Eyre, Summerland, All the Roads Home, Ken Ludwig’s Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery, The Secret Garden, Sex with Strangers, Mad River Rising, Native Gardens, The Revolutionists, To Kill a Mockingbird, Mothers and Sons, Bad Dates, Sherlock Holmes and the Adventure of the Suicide Club, Safe House, Tenderly: The Rosemary Clooney Musical, Circle Mirror Transformation, Peter and the Starcatcher, Buzzer, Fly, Seven Spots on the Sun, Clybourne Park, 4000 Miles, Pride and Prejudice and A Delicate Ship, as well as Shipwrecked! An Entertainment; The Book Club Play; Leveling Up; Abigail/1702; The Three Musketeers; and The Blonde, the Brunette and the Vengeful Redhead. Her work is frequently seen on Broadway, off-Broadway and regionally, as well as on film and television. She has many exciting projectsrunning and upcoming.Stephanie is a member of the Casting Society of America.

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Andrea L. Shell

Stage Manager

Andrea L. Shell

Andrea is excited to be celebrating her 19th season with Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, having worked on more than 90 productions. A highlight of every season for her is stage managing A Christmas Carol. Favorite Playhouse credits include The Roommate; Treasure Island; Be Here Now; Mr. Joy; Erma Bombeck: At Wit’s End; Jane Eyre; Disgraced; Bad Dates; The Revolutionists; Peter and the Starcatcher; I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti; The North Pool; The Trip to Bountiful; Merrily We Roll Along; As You Like It; Behind the Eye; The Understudy; Blackbird; Durango; Around the World in 80 Days; Altar Boyz; Smoke on the Mountain Homecoming; Reckless; Ace; The Clean House; A Picasso; One; Abracadabra (2002-2007);The Bible … abridged; and Dark Paradise. Regionally, she stage managed The Blonde, the Brunette and the Vengeful Redhead (Dallas Theater Center); Ace (The Old Globe); Lost Prospect (Ingenuity Festival of Cleveland); A Midsummer Night’s Dream and The Nutcracker (Cincinnati Ballet); and Snow White and Beauty and the Beast (Cincinnati Ballet’s Otto M. Budig Academy). She also served as the production stage manager for the Jonesborough Repertory Theatre. Andrea is a proud member of Actors’ Equity Association. She would like to thank her family, friends, Dylan and Scott for their unending support.

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Jenifer Morrow

Second Stage Manager

Jenifer Morrow

A stage manager at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park since 1994, Jenifer became the PSM (head of the department) in 2005. She has worked on more than 100 productions, including a number of regional and world premieres, and has traveled to several other theatres to bring co-productions back to the Playhouse. Her recent credits include Misery, Murder for Two, Marie and Rosetta, An Evening With Groucho, Shakespeare in Love, Little Shop of Horrors, The Second City’s Holidazed & Confused Revue, A Prayer for Owen Meany, To Kill a Mockingbird, Low Down Dirty Blues, The Secret Garden, Tenderly: The Rosemary Clooney Musical and The Three Musketeers. Jenifer served as the PSM at Santa Fe Stages for several seasons. She has also stage managed at Cleveland Play House, La Jolla Playhouse, Theatre de la Jeune Lune, Long Wharf Theatre, Goodspeed Musicals, Virginia Shakespeare Festival, The Ordway and Players Theatre Columbus. One of her most memorable experiences was stage managing the U.K. tour of Miss Evers’ Boys at The Barbican Centre in London and at the historic Bristol Old Vic.

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Brooke Redler

Second Stage Manager

Brooke Redler

Brooke is pleased to return for her fourth season with Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park. Her off-Broadway credits include Breathing Time, The Faire and FromWhite Plains (production stage manager, Fault Line Theatre). Regional theatre credits include Million Dollar Quartet, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Summerland and Native Gardens (Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park); Hair: Retrospection, Stillwater, The Whipping Man, August: Osage County, Cabaret and five seasons of A Christmas Carol (production stage manager, Kansas City Repertory Theatre); Peter and the Starcatcher and Richard II (Utah Shakespeare Festival; Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike (Center Stage in Baltimore); and The Drowsy Chaperone, Is He Dead? and Harry the Great (Creede Repertory Theatre). Assistant stage management credits include Our Town, A Flea in Her Ear, Clay, Jitney and Love, Janis (Kansas City Repertory Theatre); and work at Starlight Theatre, Stages St. Louis and Heart of America Shakespeare Festival. Brooke also has worked in opera, with credits including Moscow, Cherry Town and Medea (PSM, Opera Long Beach); and The Coronation of Poppea, Frida, Die Fledermaus and Tosca (ASM, Cincinnati Opera). She also spent two seasons at The Santa Fe Opera.

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Events

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CRATCHIT FAMILY FOOD DRIVE

Help a neighbor in need by participating in the Playhouse’s annual Cratchit Family Food Drive to support the Freestore Foodbank. To donate, simply bring a nonperishable food or personal care item to the Playhouse when you come for a performance in November or December and place it in one of the barrels located near the Box Office. Food items that are always in demand include canned meat products; canned vegetables; fruits and soups; peanut butter; and macaroni and cheese. Personal care items include soap, shampoo, deodorant, toothpaste, feminine hygiene products and disposable diapers. Please, no glass items.

On the Blog

A Word from the Spotlight

Dec 11, 2018

Aly Michaud

Bruce Cromer takes a moment to share his thoughts on the impact of live theatre.

A CHRISTMAS CAROL: Fast Facts

Dec 15, 2017

Natalie Hulla

Called “the second greatest Christmas story ever told,” Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol has endured generations of faithful audiences since its publication in 1843. It has proven to be a timeless work of art that’s fostered much scholarly research.

Bruce Cromer on Making A CHRISTMAS CAROL Sing

PREVIEW PERFORMANCE

Be among the first to see the show before opening night and save! Preview performance tickets are discounted and begin at just $35. Not valid with other discounts.

Nov. 21 at 7 p.m.

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Opening Night

Share the excitement of opening night with a lively post-show cast party with complimentary hors d'oeuvres by Vonderhaar's Catering.

Nov. 23 at 7 p.m.

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HOXWORTH BLOOD DRIVE

Join the Playhouse and Hoxworth Blood Center for our 23rd annual blood
drive on Saturday, Nov. 17, from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the Rosenthal
Plaza. Donors will receive half-price tickets good for select
performances of A Christmas Carol and In the Heights.
You’ll also leave knowing that you provided life-giving support to
those in need, saving up to three lives with your single donation. For
an appointment, visit www.hoxworth.org/groups/playhouse. Appointment times are limited, so you are strongly encouraged to reserve your spot in advance.